Windows 7 will let you turn most apps on or off

The other day we saw a leaked screenshot of a build of Windows 7 that lets you turn off Internet Explorer. Now Microsoft is not only confirming that Windows 7 will be the first version of Windows in years to let you disable the built in web browser — but you’ll be able to turn most major components on or off. That list includes, but is not limited to:

• Windows Media Player

•Windows Media Center

•Windows DVD Maker

•Internet Explorer 8

•Windows Search

•Handwriting Recognition

•Windows Gadgets

In other words, if you’d rather use VLC, Firefox, and Media Portal as your primary media, web browser, and media center apps, you’ll be able to do that without dedicating any system resources for the Windows versions of those apps.